President’s Message

MICKEY KASPARIANPresident

Winning in an Anti-Union Climate

We have four fights on our hands this year in contract negotiations with Viejas Casino, Rite Aid, Spreckels Sugar and Kaiser Permanente. With that, and all the negativity in politics these days, we enter the most difficult negotiations of all time.

I know I say that every time we go into negotiations, but this time is different. The culture is becoming more and more anti-union all the time. Our employers are becoming more greedy and don’t want to pay you a decent wage and want to cut your benefits despite you making them wealthy.

Federally, it seems legislators would like to destroy unions. More than half of the states in our country are now “Right-to-Work” states. What that means to you and me is that unions must represent employees who aren’t required to join the union.

Fortunately, we are somewhat insulated in California in that we have a democratic majority of legislators who understand what it’s like to be one of us—working people supporting our families. When we support a candidate, we make sure that they know what it’s like to be one of us, which is why we work so hard at election time.

We need to elect candidates who understand what it’s like to be one of us—working people supporting our families. We need member involvement. This year we want you to come out and help us walk precincts and phone bank for candidates we determine to have working people’s best interests at heart.

Our goals remain the same – to protect and serve the members of UFCW Local 135. We will succeed by protecting your health care, retirement and ensuring that you all have good, safe jobs. We will be looking to get you solid pay raises as well.

Our goals remain the same – to protect and serve the members of UFCW Local 135. We will succeed by protecting your health care, retirement and ensuring that you all have good, safe jobs. We will be looking to get you good, solid pay raises as well.

For your Union Leadership to negotiate the best possible contract, you and your coworkers must be strong and unified. This will send a strong message to management that you support your Union’s actions and are willing to take action – if necessary – to obtain a fair and equitable contract.

Our local has one of the best reputations for being strong and powerful. We have an outstanding tradition of excellence in representing our members. The staff here, including myself, are committed to serving your needs.

We want our members to be the beneficiaries of our hard work. But we can’t do it without your hard work too. We need everyone to jump in and be available for actions should the need arise. With this particular set of negotiations, I’m pretty sure we will be calling on you. We will need the help of all of our members, even if you don’t work at a particular place of employment, we want you to come out and fight for your brothers and sisters in the union.

We are dedicated to protecting members’ interests and improving wages, hours and working conditions for all. When working people stand together and fight, we win.